xe2x80x9cNot Applicablexe2x80x9d
xe2x80x9cNot Applicablexe2x80x9d
The present invention relates generally to an article of headgear and more particularly to a visor having a retractable cap.
Many types of headgear are worn during athletic activities. Headgear having brims or bills to shade sunlight from the wearer""s eyes are particular popular for traditional outdoor activities. These activities include baseball, softball, golf, running, cycling and tennis. Also, many people wear this type of headgear during a variety of other activities.
One particularly popular type of headgear is a visor. Visors include a headband extending substantially about the wearer""s head and a brim extending from the front of the headband. The crown of the wearer""s head is exposed to the outside environment. One advantage of a visor is that heat from the wearer""s head is allowed to dissipate to the surrounding environment. Another popular type of headgear is a baseball-style hat having a cap that covers the wearer""s head and a brim extending from the cap. The cap protects the wearer""s head from the outside elements.
Many people prefer to wear either a visor or a baseball-style hat depending on the weather conditions. For instance, a wearer may prefer to wear a visor when the weather conditions are hot and dry, but prefer a baseball-style cap when the weather conditions are cool and wet. However, since these conditions are unpredictable, and may change over the time that it takes to complete a prolonged activity such as a long run or bike ride, it is desirable to have an article of headgear that serves as both a baseball-style hat and a visor.
Many different types of headgear have been developed in an attempt to offer the advantages of both baseball-style hats and visors. For instance, hats have been constructed with a cap portion that is foldable so that a portion of the wearer""s head is exposed to the outside environment. However, when folded, the cap portion is wadded against the crown of the wearer""s head. In these type of hats, the cap portion creates a lump in the hat that detracts from the wearer""s comfort and the appearance of the hat. Also, the visor must be of sufficient size at one particular side to cover the folded cap portion from view. One example of this type of hat is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,852 to Murray, entitled xe2x80x9cArticle of Headwear.xe2x80x9d Alternatively, hats have been constructed that include a support band that is pivoted about the headband of the hat. The cap portion is compressed to one side of the hat when the support band is pivoted. The support band and structure employed to maintain the support band in the desired positions detract from the appearance of the hat. Also, the support band adds unwanted weight to the hat and sometimes presses against the wearer""s head. Additionally, the support bands limit the extent to which the hats may be adjusted to fit heads of various size. Examples of these types of hats U.S. Pat. No. 1,665,750 to McKee and Roach, entitled xe2x80x9cCap Attachment for Visors;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,993 to Okamura, Sr., entitled xe2x80x9cConvertible Sunvisor Cap;xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,053 to Okamura, Sr., entitled xe2x80x9cConvertible Sunvisor Cap.xe2x80x9d
It is an object of the present invention to provide an article of headgear that has a pair of retractable flaps that defines a cap for covering the head of a wearer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article of headgear that has at least one flap that is capable of covering the wearer""s head and being stored within the headband.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an article of headgear with a retractable cap which is both comfortable and attractive.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an article of headgear with a retractable cap and is adjustable to fit heads of various size.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article of headgear that is easily converted between a visor and a baseball-style hat.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an article of headgear with a pair of retractable flaps that are releasably secured to one another by a zipper so that the wearer""s head may be fully or partially covered by the flaps.
In accordance with these and other objects evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, an article of headgear is provided which includes a pair of flaps that are releasably coupled with one another to form a cap shaped to cover the head of a wearer. The flaps are coupled with the sides of a headband, and a brim extends from the headband.